UK based SuperSharp, part of the Satlantis group, has selected Kongsberg NanoAvionics’s (NanoAvionics) MP42 microsatellite platform for a first-of-its-kind Thermal InfraRed (TIR) mission called Blue Moon. The mission will embark SuperSharp’s flagship instrument HIBISCUS, an 80kg payload, onboard NanoAvionics’ flight-proven MP42 satellite bus. The launch is scheduled for the second half of 2026 onboard a SpaceX’s Transporter rideshare service.
The capabilities of Blue Moon will extend beyond that of conventional Earth observation (EO) satellites since the instrument is designed to acquire images day and night.
The disruption of SuperSharps‘ innovation, however, lies in its proprietary unfolding payload technology, capable of delivering 4x higher resolution per unit cost.
HIBISCUS can capture Long-Wave InfraRed (LWIR) imagery at a spatial resolution of three meters. The data generated by this category-defining satellite will support applications in the field of climate resilience, such as urban heat monitoring, as well as those in the domain of national security. It aims also to enable new applications in these fields.
In parallel to this agreement, NanoAvionics will also supply an additional two MP42 microsatellite platforms to Satlantis for its new generation of sub-meter resolution Earth Observation satellites.
Powered by a team of more than 30 engineers SuperSharp is a University of Cambridge spin-out founded in 2017 and part of the Satlantis group since 2023. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of very high-resolution Thermal InfraRed (TIR) imaging satellites.
The company’s first satellite mission will be carried out in partnership with small satellite manufacturer NanoAvionics, subsidiary of the Kongsberg group.
Marco Gomez-Jenkins, co-founder and CEO of SuperSharp, said, “We are delighted to partner with NanoAvionics on this mission to unlock the value of ultra-high resolution thermal imaging from space. The combination of our HIBISCUS telescope and their MP42 satellite platform will enable new applications in this domain, from climate change mitigation to security and defence. This mission would not be possible without the ongoing support of institutional actors, in particular the UK Space Agency.”
Atle Wøllo, CEO of Kongsberg NanoAvionics, said, “Satlantis has been one of our earliest commercial Earth observation customers, and we’re excited to build on the legacy of the first three nanosatellites we launched with them. These three new missions highlight how NanoAvionics evolves alongside our customers and their growing needs. By helping SuperSharp and Satlantis deliver industry-leading 3-meter thermal imaging and submeter visible to near-infrared capabilities, we’re setting a new benchmark for our standard MP42 microsatellite platform, supporting larger, more advanced payloads than ever before.”
Juan Tomas Hernani, co-founder and CEO of Satlantis, said, “The race to space is more and more about partnerships. The breakthrough offered by SuperSharp with its 3 m resolution in TIR in a joint mission with NanoAvionics makes us very proud to lead the global strategy for this. It also gives us an opportunity to fuse TIR as an extended channel into our next missions”.
